Follow PR Daily on:

Ohio Walmart employees hold food drive for their co-workers

Skim through Walmart’s Facebook page, and it won’t take long to find negative comments about employees’ having to work on Thanksgiving.

Now the retail giant has something else to address when it comes to employees and the upcoming holiday. An Ohio store is apparently holding a food donation drive so “associates in need can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner,” according to a photo of a sign posted to the advocacy group Organization United for Respect’s Facebook page.

The group, which shortens its name to OUR Walmart, is composed of company employees who advocate for higher wages.

Walmart hasn’t been shy about what its employees make. CEO Bill Simon has said that more than half of the company’s workers make less than $25,000 per year (though he put it the other way, bragging that nearly half make more than $25,000).

ThinkProgress reported that Walmart spokesman Kory Lundberg said the food drive is a sign that Walmart’s employees are part of a community.

“This is part of the company’s culture to rally around associates and take care of them when they face extreme hardships,” he said.

Of course, the major criticism directed toward Walmart is that economic hardship seems to be the norm for employees. One Facebook commenter posted a picture of the donation drive sign, with this comment: “I will never shop at Walmart after seeing this. Pay your workers what they deserve!”